Mississippi River

Traveling 2500 miles through America and starting its journey at Minnesota, the people of New Orleans built their livelihood off this beast. Traditionally, river travel was very slow and difficult, but the invention of the steamboat by Robert Fulton transformed this mode of transport. The New Orleans was launched in 1812 from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and was capable of speeds of 3mph. Three months later it reached the city of New Orleans. It was this single event that was to dramatically change the city. Over the next ten years its population multiplied beyond recognition as a result of river transport. Palatial paddle wheelers arrived and brought with them entertainment which included jazz musicians like Louis Armstrong. The river is very unpredictable, constantly altering its course. Since 1735, engineers have been trying to ease it into a more reliable path. They built a 3ft-high levee system 30 miles upstream and another one 12 miles downstream. In 1927 the river jumped its banks. The government acted by increasing funds to raise the levee walls, and later a massive floodwall around the city. Every year, local inhabitants wait anxiously to see if the winter and melting snow will cause the river to swell beyond its banks and flood New Orleans. Although there are presently 22 pumping stations keeping it at bay, it is still uncertain whether the unthinkable could happen.

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